Teacher Checklist

Teacher List: Getting Started
If you are advising a student who is participating in an Intel ISEF affiliated science and engineering fair, you can use this checklist as a guide.

Start early! Students should begin planning their fair projects at the beginning of the school year or even at the end of a school year so they can work over the summer.

Participate In a School Fair

• Follow guidelines for your school, but if your students are considering entry into the regional Intel ISEF affiliated fair, you must comply with International Rules as well (Junior gr. 6-8 and Senior Division gr. 9-12 participants ONLY).
• Work with your school fair coordinator to avoid conflicts between dates for your school fair and the regional fair.

 Participate In the ISEF-Affiliated Regional Fair

1. Prepare a student checklist and timeline with key dates.
2. Encourage students to select a topic for their research project and direct them to research sources.
3. Approve projects and direct students to develop a research plan.
4. Review judging expectations with your students. Let them know how their projects will be evaluated.
5. If possible, schedule time with your school's fair coordinator for students to work on their project boards after school. Recruit parent volunteers to help with project completion at after school sessions. (Regional Fair Display Rules)
6. Hold a classroom fair to help students practice their project presentations and to polish and edit their project. (Regional Fair Judging Criteria)
7. Compete at the regional fair and celebrate your students' accomplishments!
8. If a project is selected for the Intel ISEF, help your student(s) polish their presentations before heading to the International Fair (Senior Division ONLY)

Student List: A list for your students to help them get started

1. Decide what fairs you are going to enter.
   • School fair
   • Intel ISEF affiliated fair (CIRSEF)
2. Find a topic that interests you and research what is already known about it.
3. Narrow the topic to a specific scientific problem and develop an experiment to help solve the problem.
4. Discuss the project with your parents and teacher and review with them the ISEF Rules and Regulations, noting the specific rules that might apply to your type of research (Junior and Senior Division participants ONLY)
5. Develop a hypothesis and develop a procedure.
6. Write a detailed research plan about how you will conduct the research.
7. Begin your experimentation following your research plan and any revisions that those supervising or approving your research have recommended.
8. Make observations, collect data in a project journal and photograph your observations (if possible)
9. Interpret the data and observations.
10. Draw conclusions.
11. Finalize your project for presentation.
12. Write the research paper and abstract (if necessary).
13. Create the project exhibit board being sure to follow the display rules.
14. Practice your presentation and prepare to answer the judges' questions.
15. Present your project at your local and/or regional fairs!